Jammed Thumb: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment By Wrist & Thumb Braces

What is Jammed Thumb?

It is very common for us to miss-catch that one football or basketball. Instead of the ball landing smoothly in your hands, it hits the tip of your finger, compressing it back towards your hand. There are also days when we accidentally get our fingers stuck in the drawer while shutting it.

Several such incidents happen in our lives in which we unknowingly force our fingers backward into our hands, causing a condition called the jammed finger.

The force on the finger determines if the finger will be sprained or jammed. If there is excessive bone-breaking force, the ligaments (the tissues that hold the bone together) will tear apart and cause a finger fracture in our hands.

However, if less force is applied and the finger is jammed and not sprained, the finger can cause pain and swelling, making it difficult to determine if the bone is fractured or just jammed.

What Causes Jammed Thumb?

Several hits could lead to a jammed thumb, such as when you are playing sports and catching balls, when closing a door, or even a simple act such as putting the sheets under your mattress while you make your bed.

A jammed thumb needs to be treated by a doctor, or else home treatments could leave a lasting effect or a default in the shape of the thumb. Thus, when unsure if the thumb is sprained or just a mild jam, it’s better to take medical help immediately.

Anything as little as this could lead to a jammed thumb if the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) cannot take the blow of the hit and the ligaments in your fingers are compressed.

Other general causes of a jammed thumb can be caused by:

Car accident injuries on the thumb.
Landing on your hand first while making a fall down.
Trying to pick a heavy object without proper adjustment in the hand.

Any such condition that causes a force on the tip of the thumb and a stretch to the PIP joints can cause a jammed thumb. A jammed thumb will look swollen and red and exhibit enough pain to make you realize the default.

How to Fix a Jammed Thumb?

The common treatment of doctors for a jammed thumb is with a brace or a splint to stabilize the thumb until it heals.

However, some common home treatments for a jammed thumb are mentioned below:

Buddy, wrap the thumb at home by yourself to make the injury less exposed to the daily routine movements. This will provide support and keep the thumb safe until it recovers itself.
Giving rest to the thumb helps a lot as the limited motions give the thumb an easy time to relax and heal.
Applying ice for 10 to 15 minutes twice daily helps with the redness and inflammation.
Braces and splints are good, but you must be sure that it is of the right size for your thumb, or extra compression or tightness can again lead to reducing the blood flow and hence causing slow recovery. It can even worsen the thumb condition in some scenarios if the brace hurts the injured joint.
Keeping the hand on a cushion or pillow while sleeping gives a good position to the hand and helps speedy recovery at night.

Best Wrist & Thumb Brace for Jammed Thumb

The softest brace for a jammed thumb is Thumb & Wrist Brace by WorldBrace. This brace is made of Neoprene and provides the most comforting support to your injured thumb. The fabric used is lightweight and without any synthetic chemicals that could harm the injury or the skin.

The thumb splint is made of a very soft and breathable fabric that can be easily adjusted to your thumb to support it until it recovers. This adjustment to your thumb can be made without restricting movements to your other fingers.

You can carry your regular work while this brace is on, as it secures your thumb perfectly and gives enough support.

WorldBrace, a leading manufacturer of braces in China for over 20 years, has impacted globally today. We produce ODM/OPM/OEM braces all over the world with customized creations to them.

Having a low MOQ, we work with all small and medium-sized brands to help them further their business and provide the most premium quality braces.

Jammed Finger - LewisGale Medical Center

faq

How long to heal a jammed thumb?

Your thumb might heal on its own within a week or two. However, the effects of the jammed thumb, like its soreness and sensitivity, can remain for another two months.

What happens when you jam your thumb?

A jammed thumb can lead to several complications like a stiff joint, weakness in the hand, a deformity in the thumb, and even permanent inability to move your thumb in severe cases.